Curious about those trendy iridescent moonstone engagement rings? What about the cool southwestern vibe of turquoise in yellow gold? We love these magical stones for their beauty and mystique, however, did you know these stones could break within a year or even less? Before you buy that trendy ring, you need to know what you’re getting yourself into.

Need to Know: The Mohs Scale of Hardness

The Mohs Hardness scale (pronounced “moze”), is a scale used for identifying gems and minerals based on their “hardness”, or resistance to being scratched. The Mohs Scale was developed in 1812 by German geologist Friedrich Mohs. Mohs’ findings for the original 10 gems and minerals he tested are still the undisputed authority today.

The Hard Truth About Trendy Engagement Rings

For most, seeing this scale can be a real wake up call. Many people believe that diamonds became the norm for engagement rings because of clever marketing, which has some truth. But, it’s also for practical reasons: diamonds are the hardest natural substance on earth, and engagement rings go through a lot of potentially damaging situations over a lifetime of wear.

Why Does the Mohs Hardness Scale Matter?

Jewelers like us reference the Mohs Scale because it helps determine which gems are the best to use when making jewelry that will last forever. The harder a stone is, the more able to handle the wear and tear of everyday tasks without being permanently damaged. Everything from putting your hand in your pocket to accidentally tapping it against your car door can seriously damage softer gemstones.

This opal ring (pictured above) was permanently damaged by being worn in the shower.

Some of the worst-case scenarios: opals can crack or craze, looking like a shattered glass if they get too dry. Both opals and pearls can dull to a translucent yellow resembling plastic if exposed to hot water. Turquoise can easily crack or shatter and is super sensitive to chemicals and soaps. Moonstones get scratches when rubbing up against everyday objects they come into contact with.

With obsessive levels of proper care and restraint, stones like these can be preserved, but you need to decide if proper care, like your future spouse, is something you can invest your time and devotion to. Reality check: after you get the ring, you’ll want to wear it 24/7. Do this with a vulnerable stone and it probably won’t last very long - leaving you with a ruined engagement ring, or worse none at all.

But You Definitely Don’t Have to Get a Diamond

So you know that diamonds of all kinds are the most durable choice for engagement rings, but what if you don’t want a diamond? That is totally ok! There are many stone options for a durable engagement ring. Moissanite, for example, looks exactly like a diamond and is second only to a diamond in hardness. Oh, and moissanite is totally ethical too - so need to worry about sketchy sourcing when choosing this stone.

Diamond or Moissanite? Only a trained eye can tell.

Sapphires and rubies are your next best bet. Both of these stones have been used in jewelry for millennia, and still are for a good reason: they last. Though blue is the most well-known color for sapphires, they actually come in all colors of the rainbow and different levels of clarity. You can find the milky color of a moonstone or pearl or the greenish/blue hue of turquoise that you love in a sapphire.

Before purchasing a trendy stone, you need to educate yourself. If a ring is not being marketed as an engagement ring, it’s for a reason. Don’t learn the hard way! There’s nothing more tragic than the most meaningful piece of jewelry breaking and having to scramble to replace it before the wedding. So trust us and make sure that you have evaluated all of the elements of that stone’s characteristics to determine if it is a good fit for you and your lifestyle.

If you aren't familiar with the GIA colored diamond grading scale, it's the universal tool use to describe color in diamonds.

Little quick fact!

If you ever asked yourself why does the color grading scale start with D and not A. Well, before GIA put their system for grading in place in the 1950s lots manufacturers, retailers, and wholesalers each had their own scale! Things were discombobulated and the way we talked about diamonds was not standardized.

A lot of the precursor color scales to the GIA one start with A! So when the GIA went to create their own they don't want to use the letter A because it already had pre-conceived conceptions in the industry and they were worried things would get too mixed up. So their scale starts with D!

If you are looking for a colorless diamond DEF range is often the gold standard. According, to the GIA GH range colored diamonds, are "nearly colorless" but technically there is the presence of "some color".

Here is what industry insiders will tell you.

1. GH diamonds usually always look colorless when in the setting. The reason for this is the GIA grade color on the diamond both face up and face down. Often, you can only see this hint of color face down. So when the diamond is set to face up, naturally it looks colorless.

2. Many industry insiders will say they have never seen a GH any hint of color

3. If you are looking for a colorless diamond the GH color range usually will look like a DEF diamond but offer great savings!

So that it's! If you want a colorless diamond we encourage you to check out some GH diamonds on your journey and see if you agree with us! The picture above is my G color diamond, which we think definitely looks colorless!

The number one thing I hear from people is how do you find a jeweler that you can trust?

Because of the nature of the business, many people think they only have access to what's driving distance or local options. And we all know, sometimes these optionsain't that great or aka trustworthy. Local jewelers with a monopoly on location can gouge you on price, provide sub-par work, and take weeks to turn around a simple ring sizing.

I was super excited to learn about this new company because I am always a fan of anyone doing anything innovative in the jewelry industry and bonus, I believe more options are always good for the consumer. You no longer have to rely on your local jeweler for repair work and trust me that's a good thing.

Ring sizing? Replacing a watch battery? Polishing grandma's bracelet? Rodhium plating? Prong repair? Replacing a missing piece of diamond pave? Quick Jewelry Repairs has got your back. They are located in New York aka jewelry mecca and decades of jewelry experience. You have a problem - they can fix it.

How?

It's as easy as ordering Thai food. Simply snap a pic of your repair, upload it with a description and receive upfront transparent pricing (no surprises here!) and a free mailing label. Mail you repair in and they will fix it speed and excellent craftsmanship and ship it back to you.

But don't just trust my words - have road tested them for myself. I personally sent in Grandma's charm bracelet (see pictures above) which is very near and dear to my heart. She was beaten up, mangled and broken. They put her back together just like she was new and honestly that very special to me.

Quick Jewelry Repairs is a total game changer for everyone and people without access to a jeweler they trust. I hope you will check them out!